(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
ORLANDO, Fla. – The month of December has been a tumultuous one for the UCF Knights. After winning its third conference title in five seasons in a double-overtime win over the then-No. 20 Memphis Tigers, UCF saw up-and-coming, second-year head coach Scott Frost officially accept the head-coaching job with his alma mater, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Frost and his 2017 Home Depot Coach of the Year honor aren’t the only ones leaving, though; in fact, the entire 2017 UCF staff, including longtime assistant and UCF alumnus Sean Beckton, are headed north to Big Red Nation.
That entire staff, however, has remained committed to maintaining the last undefeated status of any program in the 2017 season. Frost and all coaches promptly returned on Dec. 12 for the team’s first practice for the 2018 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl against the No. 7 Auburn Tigers. For some players, including team leader and redshirt senior Shaquem Griffin, the reunion was initially awkward.
“Obviously, the first day was a little awkward, but, you know, the guys understood what [the] situation was, and we’re happy to have [Frost] back,” Griffin said after practice on Dec. 13. “I mean, for the most part, you got a lot of coaches who leave and don’t come back for the bowl game, and you have a new guy here and telling you that’s [what we need] for a win for a game, and it’s kinda hard to trust somebody that you’re really not familiar with.
“So we’re blessed to have Coach Frost and the coaching staff back. It was weird at first, but everybody understood the decision and why it was made. You know, it’s no hard feelings. That’s important when you have a team who don’t have hard feelings and willing to come to work and really enjoy everything they got with the coaches they have left.”
Griffin is preparing for his final game as a Knight and doesn’t necessarily need to worry about the upcoming coaching transition. For underclassmen like running backs Adrian Killins and Otis Anderson, however, seeing the coaches they grew to love depart has been an all-too-real reality check.
For Killins, his realization upon hearing Frost and the rest of the staff were leaving was simple: College football is a business.
“College football, it’s all a business,” Killins said after practice on Dec. 14. “You just gotta go with the flow. Whatever happens, happens. The coaches here, they started it, the tradition here and the culture here, and they started the standard here. And they’re here right now with us, and they’re gonna finish it, and we’re looking forward to having some great practices and have a great game.”
While understanding, Anderson, on the other hand, was hurt by the decision. He grew to love being with a staff that helped develop him into one of the team’s premier dual threats. In his first collegiate season, Anderson rushed for 456 yards and four touchdowns on 58 carries (7.9 yards per carry) and caught 28 passes for 334 yards (11.9 yards per reception) and two touchdowns.
“It wasn’t really hard feelings,” Anderson said after practice on Dec. 13. “It wasn’t hard feelings. It was more just being hurt because I grew with them so much, and they helped me become such a phenomenal football player. But, at the end of the day, that’s the best decision for their family and for them. So, you can’t really hold a grudge on them for that… So, you can’t really be too angry at that.”
To replace Frost, UCF athletic director Danny White hired Josh Heupel, the former offensive coordinator from the Missouri Tigers. Along with a Southeastern Conference coach leading the way, the Knights also have three former SEC coaches as assistants.
Former Florida Gators defensive coordinator Randy Shannon will assume the same role with the Knights. Shannon is bringing with him his defensive-backs coach, Corey Bell, from Gainesville, too. Glen Elarbee, who coached with Heupel as the O-line coach at Missouri, and Willie Martinez, who was the DC at UCF from 1995-96 and coached the Cincinnati Bearcats’ secondary last season, also join the staff.
“I have met with Coach Heupel. Looking at his numbers and what he’s done at previous schools, I’m pretty sure he’s gonna keep the tradition going here and keep the culture going,” Killins said. “So, looking forward to some great things and looking forward to a new staff he’s putting together. So, just looking forward to a great staff and him, but we’re focused on this game, here, against Auburn and just finish another great season.”
Said Anderson on meeting with Heupel: “We spoke multiple times. I think I had a meeting with him in his office about three times. Just getting to know each other. That’s very important for me just to be able to know him and know what his intentions are…
“He’s a real-cool dude. He’s very smart, as far as football IQ. We should have a very explosive offense just like we did this year. I don’t really see too much changing.”
No. 12 UCF takes on Auburn on Jan. 1 at 12:30 p.m. in the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia. Heupel will attend his first UCF practice on Wednesday.
For more on the Knights, as they prepare for Auburn and the Peach Bowl, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
